Travis Jankowski DVOA, Advanced Stats, & Fantasy Rankings

Tampa Bay Rays outfielder Travis Jankowski cleared waivers on Wednesday and elected free agency instead of accepting an outright assignment to the minors leagues after returning from the 10-day injured list with a strained left groin. Jankowski was valuable to the Rays earlier this season when the team was dealing with multiple injuries to starting outfielders, but he'll now seek another opportunity elsewhere in 2025. Wherever the 33-year-old surfaces, he'll merely be providing outfield depth with some speed if he gets another shot in the big leagues. The former 44th overall pick by the San Diego Padres in 2012 began the year with the Chicago White Sox and has gone 11-for-45 (.244) with no homers, two RBI and two steals in 21 combined games with Chicago and Tampa. Jankowski is a career .236 hitter with only 11 homers, 98 RBI and 104 steals in 702 big-league games since 2015.

The Tampa Bay Rays placed outfielder Travis Jankowski (groin) on the 10-day injured list on Thursday with a left-groin strain and reinstated outfielder Josh Lowe (oblique) from the 10-day IL in a corresponding move. Jankowski was forced from Wednesday's game early against the Toronto Blue Jays in the seventh inning with his groin injury and will now be forced to miss at least the next 10 days. The 33-year-old veteran will be eligible to return to Tampa's big-league roster on May 25. However, now that Lowe is back after straining his oblique on Opening Day, Jankowski won't have a clear path to playing time for the Rays when he's able to return. He wasn't all that attractive in AL-only leagues to begin with aside for his speed. Jankowski is hitting .244 (11-for-45) on the season in 21 games with the Rays and White Sox, adding no homers, two RBI and two steals.

Chicago White Sox middle infielder Brooks Baldwin, outfielder Travis Jankowski and second baseman Nick Maton have all made the Opening Day roster. Prospect Colson Montgomery and Chase Meidroth will start in the minors, so the White Sox plan on mixing and matching at shortstop to begin the season. Jacob Amaya is probably the favorite for most of the playing time at the 6, but the 24-year-old Baldwin should serve in a utility infield role. He hit just .211 with two homers, eight RBI and four steals in 33 games in his major-league debut in 2024. Jankowski, 33, latched on with the Pale Hose after being cut by the Cubs in spring training. With Mike Tauchman (hamstring) starting on the injured list, he could see some starts in the outfield against right-handers, but Jankowski has little fantasy upside. Maton, 28, had a strong spring and will serve as middle-infield depth to begin the 2025 campaign.